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A Paris Year: My Day-to-Day Adventures in the Most Romantic City in the World
by Janice MacLeod
Beautifully illustrated with paintings, drawings, and photos, this jewel box of a travel journal by Canadian artist and author Janice MacLeod traces a year in Paris. Sharing her experiences getting to know and make a home in the City of Light via diary entries (starting with January 1st), MacLeod combines artwork with a newcomer's observation of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes as well as liberal splashes of anecdotes, quotes, and history. Those who appreciate Paris and beautiful things will find this memoir a sensory delight.
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Havana: A Subtropical Delirium
by Mark Kurlansky
Award-winning author Mark Kurlansky, who wrote the bestesellers Salt and Cod, here turns his keen eye to the beloved city he's been visiting for 30 years: Havana, Cuba. In this adoring travelogue/history, Kurlansky shares personal stories and offers details about the 500-year-old Caribbean city's past and present, people, culture, sports, and music, as well as its appearances in art and literature (yes, Hemingway is discussed). Havana is a complex place, and if you want a talented guide to help you understand this elegant yet downtrodden city, pick up Havana, which includes not only recipes but pen-and-ink drawings by the talented author.
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| Following Fifi: My Adventures Among Wild Chimpanzees by John Crocker; foreword by Jane GoodallFeaturing: fascinating wild chimpanzees; primatologist Jane Goodall (who's justifiably famous for studying them in Gombe forest in Tanzania); and author John Crocker (who, as a premed student, spent eight months working with Goodall, observing mother chimpanzees).
What it's about: Not only does Crocker describe his 1973 visit, but also a return trip with his teenage son years later. Crocker also explains how his field work helped make him a better father and physician.
Look for: Those interested in Goodall will be interested in the recent National Geographic documentary, Jane. |
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| The Abu Dhabi Bar Mitzvah: Fear and Love in the Modern Middle East by Adam Valen LevinsonWhat it's about: Hoping to address his post-9/11 fears, a Jewish American man armed with college Arabic skills took a job in Abu Dhabi and visited over 20 Middle-Eastern countries, including Iraq, Iran, and Egypt.
Who it's for: those who appreciate curious, funny, introspective travelers.
Further reading: Want another amusing, Arabic-centric travelogue? Try Zora O'Neill's All Strangers Are Kin. |
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| A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill BrysonWhat it's about: American travel writer Bill Bryson, who'd been living in England for years, set out to hike the Appalachian Trail with an old friend. The two out-of-shape 40-somethings thought they'd walk the entire 2,100 miles to Maine before winter -- but reality soon hit. Nature descriptions and a history of the storied trail combine with the pair's amusing experiences and their encounters with other hikers.
The movie: In 2015, Robert Redford and Nick Nolte dramatized the duo's nature adventure on the big screen. |
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| Out of Africa by Isak DinesenWhat it's about: When Kenya was known as British East Africa, Dane Karen Blixen (whose pseudonym was Isak Dinesen) lived and worked on a family coffee plantation located at the foot of the Ngong Hills. Her classic memoir lyrically captures her time there from 1913-1931, describing the alluring landscape, the local people, the deaths of close friends, and the eventual failure of the farm.
The movie: The award-winning 1985 film adaptation of Out of Africa, which also drew from other Dinesen writings, focused on Blixen's romance with a British aristocrat and starred Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. |
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| Into the Wild by Jon KrakauerWhat it's about: Bestselling author Jon Krakauer pieces together the dramatic -- and tragic -- story of Chris McCandless, an intelligent young man who embarked on a solo journey into the wilds of Alaska with no map and virtually no supplies.
The movie: Originally published in 1996, Into the Wild was adapted as a film in 2007 by Sean Penn and starred Emile Hirsch; Chris' sister, Carine McCandless, consulted on the movie and later wrote a book, The Wild Truth, about her and her brother's abusive childhood. |
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| Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances MayesWhat it's about: First published in 1986, this delightful book chronicles poet Frances Mayes' purchase of a Tuscan villa in need of refurbishing. Relating experiences from her new Italian life, Mayes describes spending time with her neighbors, dealing with repairs, and dining on delicious foods (recipes are included!).
The movie: The 2003 Under the Tuscan Sun movie is quite different from the book but features luminous scenery and a compelling Diane Lane as Mayes. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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